Prepare

As you no doubt know, and will probably be hearing about, the Night of Power – Laylatul Qadr – is drawing near. In fact, this Tuesday night is the 21st night of Ramadaan; the first of the odd nights in the last 10.

We are taught so many times about the tremendous, unimaginable benefits of this night. We are advised to seek this night on the odd nights of the last 10; and we should not just assume that it is the 27th night.

With this post, I’d like to share a simple and beautiful advice that was passed on to me a year ago. The advice applies to such a night, and indeed any occassion where you are guaranteed of having your duas answered (such as the last third of the night, before Fajr).

Obviously, you want to be maximising your ibadah on this night; and, it has been said, the essence of ibadah is supplication – talking to Allah, asking from Allah, drawing closer to Allah via this most intimate of acts.

The advice is this:

Prepare.

Prepare for this night. Write down all the things you want to make dua for (remembering, of course, that you shouldn’t ask for anything Haraam!). Let your heart, your mind, go free, and write down all you dream of, all you want, everything you need, everything you want – both for yourself and your duas for other people.Write it all down, and keep it with you – privately – in preparation for this night.Don’t rely on everything being kept in your head (and heart). Don’t let yourself think that on this night, in your supplications, you will remember everything you want to ask for.

Maybe you would – I don’t know – but the advice is to be sure, make sure – write it down.

This most private of documents, most intimate of requests, keep with you, and remember to take it with you when you begin this night. Your list – your ‘wish’list, if you want to call it that, is for no one but Allah. So do not be embarassed to write down whatever it is your heart and mind desires. Keep it private, of course, but the main thing is that do not let self-consciousness, or fear of someone else reading it, restrict this process for you.

Find a place where you are alone and can do this. Then do it. And afterwards, protect it – keep it as private as you need to keep it.

So, that’s the advice: Prepare.

May each and every one of us find this night, and draw closer to our Creator through this most special of acts.

And, as a final thought, another advice which has been passed on to me:

A Hadith which talks about the reward for making salaah in different places: at the Kaba; in the Prophet (S.A.W.)’s Masjid in Medina; at Al-Aqsa; in the battlefield (one salaah in the battlefield is like 2 million salaahs).

But, greater than all of that, in the sight of Allah, is 2 rakats in the middle of the night, when everyone else is asleep.

So, I hope, in each of these last 10 nights (not just the odd nights), we can all try to take full advantage of this tremendous act, which is so pleasing to our Creator.

It is only by submitting to Him that we attain true success. And in order to draw closer to Him, we should make the efforts to go beyond just the ‘required’ ibadah.

So, put aside your mind, and try to overcome all obstacles, and open your heart; and insha-Allah you’ll receive all the blessings and mercy which truly will bring Jannah to you in this world, as well as take you to Jannah in the Hereafter.

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3 thoughts on “Prepare”

yip this is very relevant advice. i find that ppl often mistake laylatul Qadr to be on 27th nyt for definate, when in fact we don’t know and never will.
anyway these were my exact thoughts about the night yesterday and this morning. but im so scared im gonna miss it-either being too tired to exhaust the nights full blessings, or just being occupied with ‘must-do-s’ anyway inshaAllah we will all attain teh pleasure of Allah SWT on these nights, and that our hearts become fused as one under the banner of La illa ha Illalah. ameen

Excellent advice🙂 We often do forget what we want to ask for and then later it hits us. Always best to prepare instead. Cant say i did this myself though😦 inshaAllah if im given the opportunity to be blessed with ramadhan again next year i will keep this in mind!

Cant believe its gone so fast- Eid mubarak to you dreamy- hope its a good one inshaAllah🙂

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